Leo J. Lampinen

Here’s a quote from Harry S. Truman that you may have heard or read before.

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

I love this one and it is definitely one of my favorites. Reading is so important, especially for leaders. The most important thing leaders need to be doing is trying to become better leaders. There are many ways for us to do this, but reading is definitely near the top. I will put it up there right next to mentoring.

I have more books on the shelf and in Kindle than I can keep up with right now. This year I have made it a point to read more than I did last year. One way I have chosen to do that is by participating in Jon Acuff’s #EmptyShelf Challenge. It is simple really. You just clear out one shelf from your bookshelf or any horizontal area valid for holding books. If you’re a Kindle or Nook type of reader, just create a collection called Empty Shelf 2014. Now when you finish a book, just put it on that empty horizontal or in the electronic collection. You’ll soon see that shelf start to fill up, and if you are like me, faster than last year.

But I did not want to stop there. There are so many great books on my shelf and Kindle, that at first I just started pulling them almost at random. I soon figured out that there might be a better way of doing this.

It’s all about focus

I have chosen that this year in order to focus on becoming a better leader, I am going to focus on myself first. Why? Because you can’t expect to lead others if you do not lead yourself first. Is this the golden rule of leadership? If not, it should be. Let’s declare that right now if it isn’t.

And instead of pulling books at random, I have chosen to stick to one genre, Christianity. I could not think of a better genre to pick when it comes to leading self. Like metal to magnet (magnet to metal?), I was drawn towards several books which will blaze the trail ahead.

Read and reading now

Emotional Intelligence (Steve Gutzler)

Ok, so this one doesn’t exactly fall under the genre I have chosen to follow but it is a quick and informative read that I just couldn’t pass up. In it, Steve tells the story of how he helped one woman shape her emotions to have a better impact with her team. It really made me think about my own actions and how they could be affecting those around me, without me really knowing.

Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander (Phil Robertson)

When I met my wife 11 years ago, my father-in-law introduced me to the fine sport of duck hunting. I have been hooked ever since and now that the Duck Commander crew is on TV and signing book deals, I couldn’t pass on this one. It is the story of Phil Robertson and how he went from a humble beginning in his youth to the successful businessman he is today. The story is amazing. I just couldn’t put it down.

Fight: Winning the Battles That Matter Most (Craig Groeschel)

I found this one on Andy Traub’s Instagram feed. The chapters are short and it is hard to put down as well. It is basically about being a better man and caring for a family. I look forward to adding this one to the shelf and since it was my first of Groeschel’s, I will be checking out many others.

The lineup

Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness and What He Wants to Do with You (John MacArthur)

Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family (Steve Farrar)

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (David Platt)

Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (Kyle Idleman)

These were all recommended to me and I can’t wait to get into them. It seems like a great lineup and I will be more than happy to add them to the shelf this year.

If I asked you to name a risk taker, I bet you could spit out a few names right away. Draw a picture in your mind of what these people are like. Are they wild and easygoing? Are they impulsive or a planner?

I took up rock climbing last year and climbed for the first time at a rock gym. Even while securely connected to a harness and tethered by my friend below, I was still scared to make the climb. I don’t have a fear of heights, or so I thought, but once I started climbing higher I was nearly paralyzed by fear. I pushed on and eventually reached the top. Something magical happens when you push through fear until completion. By making it to the top of that “rock” I was made stronger and instilled with more courage for the next climb. I chose a harder route and got more adventurous. The whole experience helped me to look at risk and adventure in a new light.

A lot can be learned from taking more risk, but what about the uncertainty? If you reach for something and it doesn’t quite work out, what are the implications? It could mean a loss of revenue, respect, customers, or even the whole business. So why do it anyways? Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the safe zone and continue with business as usual? This way nothing is bound to happen. Read that again… nothing is bound to happen.

Stop taking risks?

Without risk, there is no leadership. Leaders have to take risks. It is the only way to ensure the organization and the team doesn’t become stale. It is the only way to move forward. If leaders stopped taking risks there would be no momentum or forward progress.

Risk vs. Reward

When making the decision to make a move and step out, you have to look at the risk versus the reward. This is often verbalized as, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”. You have to look ahead and decide if the end result is worth the work and the possible failure. This shouldn’t be a complete guessing game, but realize you won’t always have all the answers needed to make an informed decision. Sometimes just reaching out is the best option.

Spontaneous vs. Calculated

Think about those risk takers that came to mind earlier. Are they spontaneous and reach with what seems like no hesitation? Do they spend a considerable amount of time planning?

Each specific situation will warrant the amount of time you have to make an informed decision. Great leaders should always consider the impact the decision will have on the team. The more time available and the easier it will be to take the risk. If possible you should always make an attempt to collect as much information as possible to make an informed decision. A spontaneous decision, while sometimes necessary, only elevates and magnifies the risk.

It is easy to understand why leaders might shy away from risk and new challenges. For most it is being afraid to step out because of the fear of failure. But it is pushing against fear that makes a good leader into a great leader. Accepting new challenges is the only way to stress and then develop those leadership muscles.

Have you ever considered maintaining pace versus taking more risks because of the fear of failure?

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that one of the pillars of effective leadership is earned respect. A leader that has earned respect has also in turn earned the trust of their followers. To many leaders, this is the first great hurdle that must be cleared.

God’s good word says we should love our enemy. True respect, that which is earned, is given first even if unto an enemy.

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you”

And if there is one concept I want my boys to grasp, this is it. I certainly don’t expect them to understand much about this when they haven’t reached a year old yet, but believe me when I say they will be taught as soon as possible. In my professional life, I fully expect to be surrounded by an environment ingrained with values focused on respect and I expect the same of my peers.

There is no greater way for a leader to go through life than to have grasped this concept completely. I am fully convinced that respect is the hard earned foundation for success, trust, and greatness.

Unsustainable when shown towards a position

Getting respect doesn’t start with a title or a promotion. It must be earned. Sure, if you hold a supervisory position you can expect that most will show respect towards you right away. This is the kind that comes out of necessity rather than admiration. In other words, it is the position that is respected and not the person. Respect for a position is never sustainable, and if a leader were to rely solely on that alone they would not survive.

“There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.” ~ Henri Frederic Amiel

To have true and authentic respect means to earn it and to work for it. A leader shall not expect to deserve it and it cannot be demanded. Some amount of work has to be put in first.

Give first

Like trust, respect must be earned. It doesn’t come with personality or position, but rather with behavior. You should fully expect to give just as much as you receive. That’s just how it works. You have to work for it. The actions a leader takes are either tokens in or tokens out of the respect bank. An equal or greater value must be handed out first before expecting the same thing in return.

Hand in hand with trust

Like trust, it is just as easily lost, and just as hard to earn back. Disrespect given is the highest form of offense towards another person and nobody wants to work for, with, or follow a disrespectful leader.